One problem for people who wear glasses and participate in water sports is the ever-present danger that their glasses will fall into the water and become irretrievably lost. Some people must wear eyeglasses with prescription lenses to correct defective vision while others wear eyeglasses with tinted lenses, such as sunglasses for reducing eyestrain by shading the ambient light and by cutting the glare of the sun on a body of water. In either example, the construction and material of the glasses may make them such that they will sink into the water should they fall off. For example, traditional glasses made from metal and plastic usually do not float because the density of the materials makes the glasses denser than water (approximately 1.0 g/cc). Glasses are therefore frequently lost from boats, piers and docks after they fall into the water. Children's prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses are particularly susceptible to being lost in the water as children are often less conscientious then adults. The expense and inconvenience of replacing glasses whether they are for adults or children may be considerable, both for prescription and nonprescription versions.
Eyewear, including, but not limited to, glasses such as prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses, may be configured to float to avoid the aforementioned problems. Floating glasses may be useful in connection with activities including fishing, boating, waterskiing and windsurfing among other water sports where it is desirable to have eyewear that will not sink in water. One prior method of making floating glasses includes attaching lightweight foam or sponge to components of the glasses including the frame or the temples to lower the overall density. However, attaching foam to the exterior surface of the glasses may make them bulky, unattractive, and/or uncomfortable. In some cases, the foam may contact and irritate the user's skin. Furthermore, the process of attaching foam or sponge material to the glasses may unnecessarily complicate and increase the cost of production.
Another method of creating floating glasses includes hollowing out the components including the frame and temples to lower the overall density of the glasses. However, hollowing out these components may detrimentally impact the structural integrity of the glasses and may make the glasses brittle or too flexible. Furthermore, the surface area of the hollowed-out structure may need to be so large that the glasses become unattractive and/or uncomfortable. Another method of making floating glasses may be to use lightweight bendable material that floats. However, this type of eyewear may deform and not hold its shape. In addition, such bendable material may be more difficult to mold.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide floating eyewear and a method of making floating eyewear, which avoids the problems associated with current eyewear.